Aislyn de Leroy's Story

Oh look, Ken, Aislyn thought as she smiled vaguely at the guy who was holding open the door for her. The guy blushed and bowed, almost hitting his head on the door that he was propping open. Aislyn paused for a moment. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," The boy said, stuttering slightly in his words and almost biting his own tongue in the process. He blushed more strongly now.

Cute, Aislyn thought as she smiled at the boy again and walked into the school. He's probably a freshmen. Chivalry is sweet in the young. She looked around for Ken, but it seemed that he had already walked off. She felt a slight tinge of disappointment and then a bit of discomfort at the thought of what some of her more judgmental friends might say about the disappointment.

She banished both emotions. I'll see him later.

"Aislyn ~"

Turning, Aislyn smiled to see one of her friends approaching her at high speed, her short hair flapping in the breeze that she created. She caught the girl's hand as she approached, keeping her from falling and then lightly gave her a kiss on the cheek in greeting. "Katerina. It's a pleasure to see you." She paused as Katerina caught her breath and then asked, "Did you need something, dear?"

Katerina was flushed slightly from her run. She calmed herself and began to walk next to Aislyn. "I just wanted to tell you - just in case you haven't heard -d" She looked at Aislyn's face trying to guess by her expression is she knew. There was no reaction, only a slightly puzzled face. "Have you heard about the new student?"

Aislyn frowned slightly. "New student? No, not yet. Who is it?"

That made Katerina blush slightly. It taken a lot of her energy just to run all the way here in order to be the first to tell Aislyn about the news. It was always an honor and a privilege - but it also meant that she couldn't stick around waiting for all the little detailed tidbits of information.

Sensing Katerina's discomfort, Aislyn changed to, "Is she in our class?" She paused. "Or he?"

Katerina frowned at the question. "I think that the attendance sheet said that it was a 'he'..." She said, trying to remember. "I don't really recall." She blushed a bit again.

Hiding a smile - they were so cute when they were embarrassed - Aislyn hooked an arm into Katerina's and began to walk in the direction of their classroom, gently guiding the other girl. "Let's go see, then. Mayhap, she'll be in the classroom already."

The pretty and completely unfamiliar voice made Aislyn turn swiftly. She blinked at the person that she was looking at and then smiled in delight. Wow - now she is beautiful, Aislyn thought, looking at the semi-tall girl with jet black hair and deep, almost hypnotizing honey colored eyes.

And then, immediately after the first thought, Who is she?

Aislyn glanced at Katerina, who was blinking at the girl in shock, and then smiled. I guess the new transfer student isn't a guy after all.

She turned her attention back to the girl, who was holding out his information to her. She stepped forward and tilted her head to look at the papers. A string of her hair fell onto the paper. She quickly tucked it behind her ear, murmuring a soft apology.

Oh yes, Aislyn thought. Definitely the new student. She looked at the girl, delight and curiosity quickly surfacing to the top of her mind. Where had this girl come from? Was she a model? She certainly looked like one. Or was she a new noble in town, coming to scout out new lands. Aislyn pondered for a brief flash of a moment and then realized that it really didn't matter.

Either way, she was going to have fun with this new girl.

"Of course," Aislyn replied. "We're actually in your class, so it's right on our way." She paused and then extended a light hand to the other girl. "Shall we go?"

Aislyn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at girl's light teasing kiss on the back of her hand. Her lips were soft and brushing. Behind her, she heard Katerina gasp and then stifled the noise.

It was something that would have been considered rude from a gentleman - touching a lady's skin with one's lips unless one was related to the lady was quite forbidden, especially among nobles, even if it was used in all the movies.

However, since it was a girl, it was more charming than forbidden.

And odd. Most girls wouldn't have that habit if a girl extended their hand to them. Most girls would probably take the hand in their own or link arms - clearly, this girl is different in more ways than just looks, Aislyn thought. There was a slight disappointment in her mind as well - she had wanted to hold hands with the lovely creature.

Still, Aislyn wasn't one to give up when she wanted something - especially when that thing was as attractive as the girl in front of her was. Aislyn smiled at the girl and said, "That was a cute gesture. May I ask your name?" She offered her hand again, palm up so that there could be no misunderstandings this time.

"I'm Aislyn." Aislyn returned Yuuki's firm grip with one of her own, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. "Aislyn de Leroy. This is Katerina." Aislyn stepped aside a bit so that Yuuki could take a better look at Katerina, who blushed again. "We're both in your class."

Katerina bowed. "It's nice to meet you," She said, her face slowly turning a flushed pink. She felt just a bit uncomfortable - the girl - Yuuki - was almost as intimidating as she was beautiful. "I - I actually have to go now." She bowed again. "I'll see you in class, Aislyn, Yuuki." Then, before either could answer, she raced away, face flushed.

Aislyn felt a slight ripple of disappointment as she watched one of her pets disappear. While Katerina wasn't a beauty, she was quite cute and almost always caught up on the news, which made her both an entertaining and a useful addition to Aislyn's group.

Still, She thought, turning her attention back to Yuuki, I have other entertainment. She smiled slightly - if she had any talents besides being beautiful, Yuuki would probably become one of Aislyn's favorites before the day was done.

"um...anyone else..." Aislyn thought for a moment as they began to walk together in the direction of their classroom. "Well there's Quincy - he's in our class too, and -" Aislyn went on like that for a few more minutes, introducing random people in their class, "Kim - she's a singer and really nice - oh and Ken. He's a really good artist," She finished as they stopped at the door to their classroom.

"And this is our class," She said, leading Yuuki in by the hand.

Aislyn gave a smile in return for the thanks and, without saying another word, wafted her way over to a few of her other friends. She lingered there very briefly, ignoring or skipping over the questions on the new student with just a smile and a shrug, before drifting outside the classroom again, an idea sparking in her mind.

She could see Yuuki's lovely face very clearly in her mind. And of course, beauty should be preserved, She thought, her gait smooth and grace as she glided down the halls. She idly greeted a few people and much more often returned greetings, her attention still fixed on the transfer student. She would invite her over sometime and maybe dress her up in something lovely and beautiful - and then ask her to sit for a portrait. It was something that Aislyn did often with people that she considered attractive, and she collected the portraits.

Most of the time, she asked a professional to do them - since they were after all, very important to her - but this time she had someone different in mind, someone just as talented, but without quite as much hype behind his name - at least just yet. She wondered briefly if it was wise - after all, Ken hadn't been critically acclaimed yet -

But he is very good, Aislyn thought. And who knows? Soon, he could be just as famous as any of the others. In fact she'd been thinking about hooking him up with an agent - it would be a good time to do so. And, She thought, a bit guiltily, it can be my apology. For refusing him. The image of Ken - quite cute when he was embarrassed as he had been then - asking her out with that flushed downwards glance flashed in her mind.

She sighed. It would never have worked.

Coming back to reality, Aislyn stopped at the door to Ken's classroom and gently let herself in. Ken was drawing. She smiled - it was how she'd discovered him after all - and made her way over to him, sitting gracefully in the seat in front of him and turning to face him.

After a moment of waiting for him to look up, Aislyn said, "Hey, Ken. I have a job for you." She paused and tilted her head. "I'd like you to draw me a portrait of the new student."

Very subtly, Aislyn cast her eyes at Yuuki, smiling slightly at the question. She took a moment to think about her answer before replying, "I like collecting art - it's one of my hobbies - and I believe that you," She smiled at bit more at Yuuki, though not too much so that she wouldn't mess Ken up, "Besides being a lovely being of work already - would make a lovely piece of art."

She let her eyes linger on Yuuki for another moment, before turning to regard Ken. He was drawing intently, his eyes flicking between his sketchpad and the two girls sitting in front of him. Her eyes softened a bit. This was something that she really liked about Ken - when he drew, he always had such an intense look on his face, as if he was flicking away all the bad thoughts and replacing them with pure imagination. It made everything he drew look lovely.

When Ken had finished, Aislyn shifted slightly, not wanting to make a big scene by proceeding to stretch where she was. She winced slightly, her muscles a bit cramped from having sat still for so long. Subtly, she performed little rotation movements, warming her body up as she idly listened to Yuuki speak.

So, she's an artist, She smiled slightly. So her new found entertainment was both pretty and talented - excellent.

Her eyebrows raised as she went over the first part of his statement. Nude. With Ken? There was a bit of a tingle inside Aislyn, though it quickly faded. She shrugged, "I don't mind." She slipped off her chair, lighting gently on her feet and standing straight. "If you wish - if it's alright with Ken, I can arrange lessons between the two of you." She looked to Ken, who seemed a bit started but answered affirmatively.

She flinched a bit when he said 'Aislyn and my friends'. Once upon a time, he'd just said 'my friends' - not anymore. Not since -

Aislyn shook off the moment and smiled at the two. "Well that sounds great. Yuuki, if you want, you and Ken may start today - I'd love to see your work." She glanced. "Maybe after school? We really should head to class."

Aislyn hesitated before leaving, glancing back at Ken for a moment, before turning her attention back to Yuuki and walking out with her. They chatted lightly on their way back, and soon reached the classroom, where their teacher had just arrived.

Giving Yuuki a light smile and a promise to talk to her later, Aislyn slipped into her own seat, situated near a window with a large bunch of her friends crowded around her. They all greeted her, seemingly both happy and a bit surprised that she was in school - she wasn't always. Being rich, she sometimes took weeks off from school and was tutored from home. The school accepted the circumstances both because Aislyn's grades never dropped and because her family happened to be one of the primary donors to the school.

Briefly, Aislyn wondered what it would be like to be one of the 'normal' kids, who had to come to school, who had to keep their grades up, who didn't always get everything that they wanted. She read books about the subject sometimes, and about how, the rich girl always discovered that money really wasn't everything, that happiness lay in other things, not just in material possessions - and it was something that she just couldn't believe.

"Ms. Aislyn?"

Aislyn looked up, startled out of her reverie. She smiled at the young lady looking at her - she knew her name, but it was just slipping out of reach... "Yes? Did you need something?"

The girl smiled a bit, a cocky thing. "Zoning again, Ms. Aislyn?" She grinned. "The bell just rang. Next class. History?"

Glancing at the clock, Aislyn realized that Ezia - oh of course, that's her name - was right. "Oh, thank you, Ezia." She smiled and stood up. She glanced over and then walked over to Yuuki. Looking up at her, she asked, "Do you need assistance finding your next class?"

"You too," Aislyn said. She smiled at Yuuki and then turned to Ezia, who was waiting patiently for her.

Ezia raised an eyebrow. "Off to history?" She asked.

Aislyn smiled at her. "Yes. Let's go."

As they walked, Ezia glanced at Aislyn and said, "So, you interested in Yuuki?"

Blinking at the directness of the question - and then smiling because it was like the Ezia that she knew - Aislyn thought about the question and then said very simply, "She's beautiful."

That caused a silence and a confused look from Ezia.

Noting the look, Aislyn tilted her head and gave her own look to Ezia. "What's wrong? Do you not agree?" She couldn't imagine that anyone wouldn't agree, especially by the reactions that she had seen in the classroom and from the people they had passed when she and Yuuki had been walking through the halls.

Slowly, Ezia shook her head. She hesitated for a moment and then slowly said, "What gender do you think Yuuki is?"

Confused, Aislyn replied, "She's a girl."

Again, Ezia hesitated and wondered briefly if it was better to let Aislyn find out about the information that she held from Yuuki himself. She shook off the thought quickly - it wasn't as if this information would change Aislyn's mind about Yuuki - and Aislyn would owe Ezia for an interesting piece of information. "She's not a girl," Ezia said.

The prettily-dressed young woman walking next to her frowned. "I'm sorry. What -"

"She's a boy," Ezia said.

Aislyn stopped walking, her eyes widening.

Ezia stopped walking as well and looked straight at Aislyn.

"Yuuki's a boy."

All through history class, Ezia's words ran through Aislyn's class. She just couldn't stop thinking about it. It was silly she knew - and she was worrying Ezia, who kept glancing at her every few moments (something that Aislyn caught from the corner of her eye). There was no point in thinking so much about it. She couldn't change it even if she wanted to - and really, it didn't matter to her either way. The thing that had attracted Aislyn had been Yuuki's beauty, not her gender.

And it wasn't like she had nothing against boys - Ken flashed in Aislyn's mind as she thought this, and she had to duck her head to hide a blush, both of embarrassment and of regret. That she might have felt something else for her employee - it was ridiculous - and besides, it was Ken, someone who had little social class at all, someone who was decent on the looks scales, although not amazing. All he had going for him were

Personality and talent, Aislyn thought. And those are never good enough reasons to like someone.

Her attention slowly drifted back to Yuuki. She liked boys - well, she preferred girls - they were usually so much more entertaining, so much prettier, so much cuter - but she liked boys, too. So it wasn't that.

It was more...

He's...so beautiful, Aislyn thought. There was a lot - a lot - of admiration in the thought - and just a bit of jealousy, too. It had been okay when he was a girl - when I thought he was a girl, Aislyn reminded herself - he'd never actually been one - but now that he was a boy -

I never knew boys could be so beautiful, Aislyn thought. A very faint smile and light amusement began to play in her mind. This took care of all the problems - every single one. Her parents had never been too happy when she'd gone out or been with girls - they didn't think that it would make a very good reputation - and she wouldn't be able to have an heir, but with Yuuki...

He's beautiful, Aislyn thought. He's beautiful, he's talented - she thought back to the portrait incident - he's interesting and - and, he's a boy. Her smile grew. [i]Everyone's happy.
[/i]

She went through the rest of history on that note, vaguely happy at the thought. Yuuki seemed to have been made for her - he was everything that she wanted and everything that everyone around her wanted to have. He was perfect.

Perfect.

The word echoed in Aislyn's mind briefly as the bell rang.

After taking a moment to pick up her stuff, Aislyn waved to Ezia, a reassuring thing that made Ezia relax and took off the her next class with Erick and Grace, two of her other friends.

When she walked in, Yuuki was already there. Aislyn's eyebrows rose, and then she smiled.

She glided over, her feet silent on the floor and tiptoed next to Yuuki's ear to whisper, "Did you enjoy gym?" She smiled at him. "Was Ken in your class? Did you guys have fun?"

A slight shiver went down Aislyn's skin as Yuuki brushed her wrist. His skin was like silk against hers, and it excited her to know that the person who stood in front of her, framed by golden light that brought out the gold contained in his eyes, was her perfect person.

Aislyn had barely had time to smile at Yuuki, keeping the expression just a bit shy and lowering her eyelids slightly to let her lashes brush the skin beneath her eyes when Ken walked in. She glanced over at him and smiled a greeting - politely - before turning her attention back to Yuuki.

"Only okay? That's too bad." She shook her head and turned her body so that she was leaning lightly against the sill, looking in at the classroom. The sun streamed down her hair, bringing out the blue in it as she tilted her head back slightly and her hair pooled along the window. "I'd hate for you to think that our school is 'nothing special'." She turned her head slightly so that she could look at Yuuki and gave him a half-smile.

Her eyes trailed along him gently, lingering a moment on the chest - that was certainly weird - and then another very briefly on the area between Yuuki's legs, where the folds of the skirt covered neatly - and then she lifted her eyes back to Yuuki's and gave him a light smile.

"I'm have a little -" Aislyn's smile widened at the word, to let Yuuki know that it wasn't really 'little', " - get together at my place later. Ken's coming as well, so you guys can talk about your little contract together. Would you like to attend?" She paused and then added, "And if you need something to wear..." Aislyn let the words trail off and then gave Yuuki a flirty smile. "I'm sure I can provide."

Aislyn smiled and was about to agree to Yuuki's more than slightly provocative statement, when Yuuki turned to Ken and spoke to him, his voice light and cool. Fine enough, but Ken's response was more than a little disturbing. Aislyn's eyes widened as she stared between him, as he started to pack his stuff up and prepared for leaving, and Yuuki who was looking at him over his shoulder with an infinitely normal smile, as if everything was perfectly fine.

But it definitely wasn't.

'Somebody might rape you'? Aislyn couldn't help but feel shocked at the words. She hadn't ever remembered Ken being so - so brash or blunt before. Of course, he wasn't exactly the most cultured person in the world - he wasn't a noble - but he was never rude or mean either - at least, she'd never seen it.

Without really meaning to, Aislyn pushed herself off the windowsill. To Yuuki, she murmured a polite, but very distant, "I hope you'll excuse me," and then began to walk towards Ken as the bell rang. As she did so a little voice in the back of her head - the prim and proper one that guided most of her actions - began to complain (elegantly, of course).

What exactly are you doing? Aislyn was wondering that herself. She had Yuuki all to herself - all to herself. She could have taken him home with her and kept him like a pet. He was perfect - he was everything. Exactly, so go back to him. Just forget about Ken. He's an artist - he's an employee. Emotionally, he should mean absolutely nothing to you. There was a mental snort from her little voice, then a cough to cover it up. After all, you could replace him anytime you wanted.

But she couldn't help but feel that that wasn't true. Ken was - Ken was -

Aislyn caught up to Ken and grabbed his sleeve to catch his attention. "Ken..." She waited until he looked at her and then said, trying to keep her voice proper, but knowing that she failed, "Ken... Did - did something -" Oh God I just stuttered. She shook her head mentally and continued on, " - happen between you and Yuuki?" She stopped, unsure what to say now, unsure what to do. The doubt started coming back. What exactly was she doing?

She hesitated for a moment and then asked, her voice soft, "Are you alright?"

"I'm not going to rape anyone!" Aislyn said. She couldn't help smiling at Ken's thoughts. He was very much the teenage boy after all. A slight feeling of surprise arose in her as he touched her shoulder, but she didn't move away - he did that for her.

Her eyes widened as she listened to Ken's reasoning. He's uneasy...because Yuuki's a boy? And because he was attracted to him? Or because he's afraid Yuuki likes him? She wondered as she listened to Ken's last comment.

"Ken, you don't have to hide. I -"

"Seems you've found me out." The words came from Yuuki, who seemed to get steadily more and more embarrassed as he continued to talk. "It's true. I am a guy, but it's only temporary. It's a disease. I was born a male, true to the word, but I'm slowly turning into a female. I don't think I have long before I'm a real girl but that's just speculation. If you want to know more, I'll explain to you both of you at the party. Not here. It makes me edgy. Someone could be listening. Alright? Alrighty then. I'll be going ahead."

For a moment, Aislyn could only look at the two guys - or at least one guy, one half-guy - in front of her. Her mind raced. If Yuuki was going to turn into a guy, he couldn't be the perfect mate for her anymore -

Aislyn stopped.

She looked at Ken. He was facing the other direction, clearly uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to talk about it. He didn't want her to see his face - as if he's afraid I'll find something that will make me dislike him.

She glanced at Yuuki. His face was glowing pink, and his ears had turned bright red. He was facing slightly away too - apparently embarrassment was a feeling that he didn't really enjoy all that much.

It made Aislyn smile just a bit. They were so cute. So wonderful. Both of them.

Carefully, Aislyn stepped up behind Ken and gave him a light kiss on the cheek - it didn't matter who saw. She said softly into his ear, "It's fine. If you don't wanna talk about it, I mean." She looked down and then continued, "But if you do - I am here for you Ken. Don't forget that." She gave him a smile and then walked over to Yuuki.

His face almost literally shone and she fought hard to keep from laughing at it. Instead, she smiled at Yuuki, making the smile as warm and friendly as possible. "If - if you don't want to talk about it, Yuuki - if it makes you feel uncomfortable -" She hesitated and then shook her head. "It's fine no matter what you are. We -" She glanced at Ken. "- will like you no matter what." She smiled again and then lightly kissed Yuuki's cheek.

She looked at both boys for a moment and then waved at them before exiting the classroom. "I'll see the two of you later. Bye ~"

Humming slightly, Aislyn danced around her room, the music playing lightly from her speakers making her a bit giddy. It was almost six now, and she was expecting arrivals soon. She'd already had the servants put out the food and the video games and the general entertainment, as well as clear a place for dancing down in the main hall. She's probably not spend a lot of time down there though. That was for her guests, for them to play and do as they would. She'd probably be somewhere more private, getting to know her more valued pets or, more likely tonight, her new favorite.

At the thought of Yuuki, Aislyn slowly slid to a halt, her white undergown swishing slowly around her. The words from that afternoon ran through her head - his condition. She couldn't help but wonder, even though he'd told him that it was perfectly alright even if he chose not to tell her about it, what exactly it was. It must be interesting if it caused such a dramatic change in the boy. And unique, since she'd never encountered anyone with a similar disease or condition or whatever it was.

After a moment, Aislyn shook her head and walked over to her closet, wondering what outfit she should wear that night.

She was currently wearing a very light, cotton dress, white and made for private, homewear - not suitable for a dance or a party. Especially one of her parties. It wasn't as if she required nice dress, but for some reason the people always came in their best clothes, looking fine in silk or velvet or flaring patterns.

There were a great many choices in the closet. She glanced at them all briefly and then touched her hair. It was a deep shade of blue-violet, leaning more towards the blue side. Bright colors with purple or blue tints usually went best with it.

Aislyn extended a slender hand and pulled out an elbow-sleeved wrap dress dyed a brilliant blue. It went down to mid-knee and was very lacking in decoration, but the way the dress fell lightly around her and flared mildly around her knees gave it no need for decoration. Aislyn lightly slipped the new dress on, feeling the silken fabric hug her form before walking over to her bedstand and looking into the mirror to check the dress. After a moment, she smiled. It would do quite nicely.

She progressed to light makeup and then tied her hair up, using an offwhite ribbon which twisted into her hair and onto her shoulders to do so.

Fifteen minutes later - she was ready.

Aislyn smiled into her mirror, the expression almost predatory. Normally, she didn't allow herself to feel such a way, but she had a worthy prey today - and she was ready to hunt.

After a last look at herself, Aislyn exited her room, stepping lightly down the stairs and walking over to her front door, which was being opened by the servants as she did so.

She walked over to the first of the guests and gave him a sweet smile, just a bit of the predation left in the look.

"Welcome."

Aislyn smiled at Kate and her couple for the night and then turned her head back to the front door -

Standing before her was Ken, looking exceptionally respectable in a red dress shirt under a white sports jacket over white dress pants. His shoes looked a little out of place, being the only back in his mostly red-white outfit, but still the whole look was very neat and set him off nicely. Despite his nice look, her artist looked a bit uncomfortable - she could guess why. Ken had never really been comfortable around her other friends and since the 'incident', it'd been a little awkward for the two of them to be close to each other or talk to each other on anything except for professional terms. It was something that she regretted.

But, maybe that can change tonight, Aislyn thought. She smiled at Ken's words, although the smile was a bit sad - only business talk of course. She shook her head. "Not tonight, Ken. Tonight, just enjoy yourself. Have fun. Relax." She hesitated and then stepped in closer and said quietly, "And it's okay if you call me Aislyn. Really." She looked into Ken's eyes - they were pretty, even if they weren't anything incredibly special. "Really - I..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. Recounciling the relationship entirely would cause all sorts of rumors to start up again, but if she didn't, she was almost afraid of losing Ken - and that she was fairly certain she didn't want to happen. There wasn't much that she could do. And besides, she now had Yuuki to set Ken off against.

Aislyn lowered her eyes momentarily and then raised them again to look at Ken, keeping her gaze firm so that he would see that she wasn't just playing around. "I'd like us to be friends again - if possible. If -" She stopped again, feeling weird. She shook her head. "If it's alright with you." It meant 'if you still want to be friends', but she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud. It was beneath her to say something like that, and besides, Ken would understand what she meant.

Softly, Aislyn added, "I'm sorry."

'Alright'...it doesn't sound like it, Aislyn thought. She looked at Ken, her expression slowly changing as he switched the conversation topic to Yuuki - to how cool he seemed - Ken referred to him as a 'she' as if in denial - or was she the one in denial in this whole thing? If Yuuki was really going to turn into than technically, there would be no real advantage to her going after him - or referring to him as a guy, because it already seemed as if he wasn't - but...was he?

Confusion swirled around Aislyn's mind, made worse by the fact that Ken's attraction to Yuuki was now becoming startlingly clear. She'd seen it before of course, just as she'd seen the attraction between the rest of the world and Yuuki - he was that lovely - but now she was starting to realize just how serious it was. How incredibly - scarily - serious it was. The innuendos that he was dropping - as if he wanted her to hook him up with Yuuki - as if it was only right because Yuuki was soon going to become a girl anyways -

Was that what he'd meant? She still wasn't sure - his language had been so...vague, so -

She couldn't dwell on this. In another moment or two, it would be showing on her face - the feeling that she had never really felt for anything or anyone because no one - no one - refused her.

Jealousy.

I am not - Aislyn denied and then shook her head. She looked back up at Ken and smiled at him, as if everything was okay and as if the thoughts in her head weren't swirling about like a hurricane. "That sounds good," She said lightly, although there was a feeling in her stomach that told her to keep Ken and Yuuki as far away from each other as possible. "I think you two would be a -" She paused, unsure of what to say. Aislyn didn't want to come across as jealous, but she didn't want to encourage them, too much. After all, Ken was her friend - her employee - her - And Yuuki - Yuuki was to be hers. "Productive," She chose finally, "Pair. I'm sure that you'll make amazing works for my collection." She smiled at Ken and gestured him inside. "Would you like to mingle with the other guests or wait for Yuuki with me?"

Aislyn blinked at Ken's statement. She definitely noticed Yuuki eyeing Ken and he certainly had flirted with her as well - still - the way that Ken had put it... She turned her head away, hiding a small smile. It was just like Ken - just like him. Always just a few words slipping out before he realized what he was saying. It was...adorable really.

She had to keep her head to the side as he continued blabbing after a moment's pause - something about a threesome. Well, she doubted that her parents would approve, but... Aislyn let out a tiny cough and straightened her face, turning back to face Ken, keeping her eyes wide and calm, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Ken turned and then his eyes lit slightly. He grabbed Aislyn's hand, a motion that made Aislyn's eyes widen. She was about to automatically throw him off when he let go of his own accord, bitting his lip and looking away, as if just realizing what he had done and how it wasn't appropriate. Aislyn started to frown. She couldn't think like that - she'd told herself that she wouldn't discriminate against Ken for that reason anymore. He was - he was her friend. It didn't matter if he wasn't rich, wasn't popular, wasn't suitable -

He was saying something again, a mumble this time, an apology for grabbing her hand and an excuse. She shook her head, murmured, "It's fine," and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with the hand that he had grabbed. She could still feel his warmth, his pressure.

She glanced over at Yuuki, and her eyes widened before she quickly turned back to Ken, her heart now racing, though in excitement not nervousness. A small smile was starting to dance across her lips. Yuuki looked phenomenal - like a queen. And either someone very talented had done his makeup, or Yuuki's art extended to more than just the paint on paper kind. If she wasn't so confident of her own looks, she might have been jealous - the red laced with black - truly a brilliant combination -

"I've been practicing my dancing, y'know…" Ken chuckled, the sound almost nervous. The words caught Aislyn's attention and brought her focus back on Ken. He looked plain in comparison, though still handsome in his own, rather unique, awkward way. "After you greet Yuuki, I could make some more art…if you'd like to…dance? Not that we have to be together this party…well…y'know. I don't want to affect your reputation improperly…not like…a couple…"

"No," Aislyn said. "No, that's fine. I'd love to have a dance with you." She smiled at Ken. "Really. That would be great." She held out her hand. "Come on. Let's go greet Yuuki." She started over to Yuuki, waiting until she was close enough to call lightly, "Yuuki ~" and giving a light wave with her other hand. She stopped in front of Yuuki and smiled at her. "Your dress is beautiful," She told her future husband/wife. "You look amazing."

Yuuki gathered his skirts in one hand and made his way across the room. He had perfected the look, prideful with his shoulders straight. From that sense of pride came a immense elegance that stripped all others of their reasoning to keep their eyes off him. His smile was welcoming and provacative, nothing like the usual scowl he gave to ward off trouble. Glances had turned into open stares of desire and longing and sometimes he returned the gaze with a wink and a dainty wave. A servant approached when he paused halfway through the room and he greeted the older man politely. “Would you like something to eat this eve?” Yuuki delicately inclined his head. “No, thank you however.” The man bowed and stepped off into the crowds. Yuuki stared after him before turning, sensing someone’s eyes on him. His gaze met Aislyn’s and a fluttery feeling danced in his chest. The feeling took him off guard and he switched to look at Ken who stood beside her. The feeling persisted and he reflexively started to frown. Specially when Aislyn grabbed Ken’s hand and began to make her way towards him.

He chuckled to cover the strange feeling and stepped towards them to meet halfway. "Yuuki,” her smooth voice made him relax. “Your dress is beautiful. You look amazing." Yuuki nodded and took a step forward to place a light kiss on both sides of her cheek. “Thank you for the invitation. I’m already having plenty of fun. Also, your just a beautiful. The star of the show.” He turned to Ken and let his eyes roam over the man. Just earlier today they had been pressed close and had almost become intimate. Yuuki blinked, eyelashes fluttering.

“Hey…” Greeted Ken, Yuuki analyzed the look in Ken’s eyes taken off guard by the depth of emotion."How's things, Yuuki?" The boy didn’t respond for several seconds, mezmerized by the blooming emotion in his own chest before he shook his head and gracefully touched Ken’s shoulder, needing some form of contact with the man. “I’m doing fine. Better now that I get to see you two.” Yuuki paused, his lips curving seductively. “Your quite handsome this evening too. Best man here.” He let his hand return to his side and adjusted his postition so that Aislyn could be included in the conversation too. “So, who is going to get the first dance?”

Returning the air kisses, Aislyn gave Yuuki a smile. It wasn't a flirty smile, but a fond smile. She might not have known the young lady/man for very long, but he was already growing on her and hopefully, would continue to do so. She stepped back and let Yuuki and Ken greet each other, the faint feeling of darkness settling over her heart again, especially as Yuuki's lips curved slightly and there was something very suggestive about the motion as he complimented Ken on his outfit for the night.

Best man? Aislyn thought. She couldn't help but think wryly, I believe that that would have to be you, Yuuki, but she didn't say it aloud. After all, currently and probably soon, Yuuki would become a girl. Did that change her plans to get together with him? Yes, he was beautiful, and yes, he might have talent but...if he was a girl...he would have no more advantage over any of the other girls that Aislyn sometimes favored with her attention. He would lose that sparkle.

Or would he? After all, he was incredibly beautiful. Maybe -

“So, who is going to get the first dance?”

The question brought Aislyn back to what was going on at the moment. She looked at Yuuki and Ken, Yuuki having angled so that she could see them both easily again - normally, she started the dancing with a waltz of her own, together with a favored partner of either gender. She glanced at Ken - people would talk if she had the first dance with him, and she had hoped to have it with Yuuki, but...

"I promised Ken a dance," Aislyn said lightly. She looked at Ken, giving him a small smile. "Would you like to open the party with me?" She glanced at Yuuki. "If you don't mind waiting that is."

When Ken's arm snaked its way around hers, Aislyn gave him a brief glance and then turned her head to catch the eye of the musicians - live, of course - and gestured at a group of them to begin the soft dance - the first dance song. It changed every so often, but it was always a variation of a waltz. The music started, very softly at first and then building up in volume as Ken finished speaking to Yuuki and then turned to Aislyn, dropping his hands so that they intertwined with his. They were slightly damp and a bit cold, but Aislyn smiled nevertheless. Ken was finally going to get his moment in the spotlight with her. Of course he'd be nervous, especially after the shutdown that she'd given him the last time...

Ken began to speak. "Aislyn?..." Aislyn lifted her head to look at him. He was just a bit taller than her in her heels, and her lashes framed her eyes perfectly. "I can tell Yuuki really does like you." Aislyn's eyes widened. She had been thinking the exact opposite and she almost opened her mouth to tell Ken so, when he continued on his train of thought, "Do you think I'll ever find someone like that? Things have been very unlikely…I mean, not just counting your desire to stay professional, I respect that…"

The first thing that came to mind after the Yuuki thing was pity - deep pity and affection and a sense of regret in the bottom of her heart. Ken said that it wasn't her fault, but still - she felt guilty. At the time, she had gotten a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever Ken worked for her, whenever he was around in general. It was the type of feeling that should have made her say 'yes' when he'd asked but unfortunately, she hadn't done any such thing. It'd made the feeling colder, more bitter, and dragged it out to a point where it was almost painful to think about it.

"You shouldn't," She said quietly, lowering her eyelashes. "I'm sorry. I - lied. I -"

Before she could continue, a beam of light hit them and she looked up. A spotlight was being shone on them, while everything else dimmed to a soft glow - another first dance tradition, one that she normally enjoyed, but one that made her cheeks flush red now.

She couldn't stop though. "I just...I didn't want - we are so different, Ken. I think you're an amazing person, but - my reputation -" She shook her head and then said, much more firmly. "You will find someone to love and who will love you. And she will be perfect and beautiful and - amazing."

Yuuki nodded and bowed at the waist, allowing the couple to pass towards the dance floor. His eyes trailed them for a while longer, sweet peace sweeping through his mind. He was comfortable with them. They knew enough about him to where he could relax. Even so, he realized the factor that deepened within himself. He knew that perhaps they were a perfect couple. They suited each other whether they knew it or not and he was only that little push on the back. Although his own emotions had become involved and he loved both equally. Yuuki felt that she would have chosen to help them over herself because of the emotion in her chest.

She brushed her hand through her hair and lowered her gaze to the polished floor in a gesture of anxiety before the girl straightened and waved a waiter over, refocusing her thoughts on the main problem. Maybe it wasn't that she truly had feelings for either one of them, maybe it was just because she was changing into a woman so quickly. So much faster than she had expected, when just this morning she had checked herself in the mirror and seen her masculine features melting away and being replaced by seductive plump lips, slender hands, a bosom, and of course her hard abdomen turning soft and curved like a woman's. A child-bearing body instead of the hard masculine strength that came with being a man.

Yuuki reached for the wine glass filled with a non-alcoholic drink and took a sip. Her sense of life was changing. Things were becoming covered in emotion and were no longer just objects with a practical use. She heard someone call to her and she turned to view the young woman who had a jolly smile with a voracious laugh. "Darling! You simply look magnificent. I wish I had your figure." Yuuki giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "My, my. Your quite the beauty too." The woman's hand came forward and brushed over Yuuki's cheek, resting for a moment before untucking the strand she had just bothered to put away. "Not as much as you are. Your so indescribable." A light blush spread before she lightly pushed away the woman's hand. "Thank you." The woman gave a hearty chortle. "Don't worry. I'm Saline. Just a secretary. I wanted to scout you but I see I'm coming on to strong. Later, perhaps?" Yuuki nodded politely. "Yes, that would be fine." Saline stepped away and Yuuki turned to approach the dance floor, feeling mischievous.

He stepped up to where the crowd circled Aislyn and Ken. A certain boldness burned in his mind and he knew exactly what he was going to do. A three person dance would certainly cheer up the mood and take away the sense of romanticism. It made her slightly jealous that they seemed to be so intimate without her. She quickly paced over to the band and whispered in a festive song before striding straight onto the dance floor, with her head held high and an arrogant smile played on her glossed lips. She bowed when she reached the couple and held out both hands. "Shall we do a three person dance and make this ball, a real party?" The music gave an abrupt change, sounding almost like the salsa. "Shall we?"